Handbrake Usage Question/Debate

divine`

divine`

divine`

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Was talking to people in halls the other day about someone who paid £500 last time they had an MOT for (amongst other things) a new handbrake, and being told that it broke because they pulled it up without pressing the button.

Now, I don't drive yet, not got a need to and it would just be extra expense at a time I could without it so I wasn't in the best position to argue my point, but I was under the impression it was perfectly normal to engage the handbrake by just giving it a yank (and then using the button to disengage)?

I'm pretty sure that both my parents do this, and haven't broken a single handbrake in 25 years of driving :o

So, am I wrong and does that nerf your handbrake or has someone told them a load of nonsense?
 
I've never heard of someone breaking a handbrake using the method you describe, but I guess it must happen sometimes.
As it happens, I believe that the IAM recommend that you press the button whilst enabling the parking brake. Personally I do it as it avoids making a racket and I think creates a more soothing environment for both myelf and passengers.
 
Load of nonsense. Its just a simple ratchet.

I suppose you could argue that you would eventually wear the ratchet, and that would then need replacing.
 
Clarkey said:
Sounds like a load of nonsense to me, besides theres no way a new lever costs £500!
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The £500 was for other stuff aswell (although personally I still think they got shafted, but hey, not my problem :p)
 
You shouldnt pull your hand brake up without pressing the button really but it doesnt matter either way.

My dad owns a local garage and MOT station and there is now way the bill should have been £500 depending on what else the MOT failed on.
 
Bug One said:
Load of nonsense. Its just a simple ratchet.

I suppose you could argue that you would eventually wear the ratchet, and that would then need replacing.
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Yes it would need replacing, take a very long time though.

I automatically just pulled up the handbrake when in my first few lessons but thats not the right way, you must press the button, pull until its tight and release.
 
Melon said:
You shouldnt pull your hand brake up without pressing the button really but it doesnt matter either way.

My dad owns a local garage and MOT station and there is now way the bill should have been £500 depending on what else the MOT failed on.
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I can easily see an MOT going way over that. Emissions, structural wear, electrical problems, windscreen, brakes etc.
 
The ratchet will wear if pulled up each time, would take a long time though.

It doesn't matter either way really, but since my instructor made me press the button since I started learning, I'm in the habbit.
 
Well the MOT is what £40.

So what did the car fail on to take it to over £500 must have been quite a bit.
 
Melon said:
Well the MOT is what £40.

So what did the car fail on to take it to over £500 must have been quite a bit.
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Can we focus on the handbrake issue as opposed to what broke that cost £500 please? :p

Even I don't know all of what needed replacing/fixing etc. it was the handbrake issue I wanted opinions on.
 
Yeah Sorry,

Well the Handbrake isn't a costly job really unless the whole cable got replaced as well.

Also I would always advise pressing the button when pulling the Handbrake but I have never heard of one breaking by not pressing the button.
 
It would take a very very long time to wear the ratchet out, I prefer not to press the button in means you know how many click the handbrake has come on and what should hold the car, also means your less likely to stretch the handbrake cable from pulling it on to much.

That price is either BS or he has been bent over, either way he's an idiot.
 
Firestar_3x said:
also means your less likely to stretch the handbrake cable from pulling it on to much.
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I'm failing to see how not pressing the button means you don't pull the lever as hard as if you do press the button?
 
I know several driving instructors, my ex instructor used to say always press the button in when using the handbrake he said it would wear the ratchet out otherwise, which is a joke tbh but still.

Everyone I have ever seen press the button in yanks the handbrake up further than it needs to go to hold the car, if you don't press the button in you know how many click on the leaver it takes to hold the car so you don't need to pull on it as much hence not stretching the cable as much :)
 
The issue isn't that you pull the handbrake on more or less by pressing the button it is that by pressing the button you are wearing at the ratchet.
 
Melon said:
The issue isn't that you pull the handbrake on more or less by pressing the button it is that by pressing the button you are wearing at the ratchet.
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We know that and if you read what i put in the first place you will see why this extra bit has come up............
 
I'd rather just pull the handbrake on all the way and be happy that my car is going nowhere than pull it up until the car isn't moving and save a few quid on a handbrake cable. The main reason I use the button though is it stops it making a nasty noise. When I hear someone do it without using the button I think "you realise it wouldn't make that noise if you just pushed the button in?" But hey, it's not my handbrake.
 
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